General

Tax break bill with Keystone clause dies in Congress

House of Representatives rejects the measure

The U.S. House of Representatives killed on Tuesday a bipartisan bill that combined a two-month payroll tax break with provisions forcing the Obama administration to make a decision on the Keystone XL pipeline project. The Republican-led House rejected the bill, calling on the Senate to start negotiations for a full-year extension of the tax exemption instead. The provisions related to the Keystone XL were inserted into the bill as part of a package deal struck in the Senate over the weekend to attract votes from Republican representatives who support the project. If the tax exemption is not extended, taxes are set to raise next month for 160 million American workers. Without the legislation forcing a decision by the Obama administration on the $7-billion project, the TransCanada pipeline will have to wait for a State Department review set to be completed by 2013.

The Vancouver Sun

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